Richard P. Bingham

Articles by Richard P. Bingham

In a recent article, we covered the need for having a “pre-flight check” performed before moving existing or installing new information technology (IT) equipment into a newly constructed computer room. Since the contractor was not aware of the requirements for such a room, we volunteered our power quality services in exchange for interesting data for this article. READ MORE

You have seen them: tall, gangling, steel structures-known as high-tension lines-that transport hundreds of kilovolts. These rights-of-way are used to safely move transmission-level bulk power from the generators to the distribution substations. But the voltage levels do not start out or end up at those levels at the point of utilization. Then why the need for such high-voltage levels? READ MORE

I recently overheard a conversation that reminded me of how we take for granted that things will work the way we want them to without doing a few simple checks to verify them. Before every flight, a pilot will go through a checklist, walk around the plane, wiggle this and look into that-all to improve the probability of a successful, uneventful flight. READ MORE

Most of the articles in this column have focused on how to find what type of power quality demons are lurking in your power system. However, the other aspect of PQ is how to get rid of them. Otherwise, it is sort of like a doctor who only diagnoses your illness, but can't offer any treatment. READ MORE

Last month's article touched briefly on the two of the most important laws in power-quality analysis and seemed to have generated enough questions that a more in-depth discussion might be warranted. READ MORE

Adjustable speed drives or ASDs, are often categorized as "sensitive" to power quality phenomena, which means ASD could also stand for "another sensitive device." I am still not sure what "sensitive" means relative to hardware. Susceptible seems like a far better choice of words. READ MORE

I just returned from chairing the Report on Proposals (ROP) meeting for the NFPA 70B Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance Committee, where we reviewed, debated, commented and voted on more than 150 proposed revisions to the 2002 edition for the next edition. By the time this article is published, the ROP will be published for public comments. READ MORE

Simple questions to tackle audits or troubleshooting jobs Last month's article focused on having the right tool for the job. When conducting a power-quality audit or carrying out a troubleshooting job, the right tool is just one part of the process. You next have to figure out how to go about using those tools to achieve the objective. READ MORE